Simple Life No More
by Almost Love
Summary: Life was good for Elizabeth. Too bad things had to change, that's just the way life is I guess. How will Elizabeth cope while her once simple life disappears?
1. Sweet memories

Okie, obviously, this isn't set as real life, just humor me. I don't own the LM characters yadda, yadda, yadda.. this is my own idea though so if someone has written a similar one, Im sorry! I didn't know! Please review!! Thankies!  
  
As she lay in their newly restuffed bed, she knew that she was lucky. Just one glance at his sleeping form was all that she needed to realize how good life was. She couldn't help but smile as she watched him in such a peaceful state. His body was perfectly still aside from his strong chest that was slowly moving in and out with every breath. His jet-black hair was in such disarray that she couldn't help but reach out to tuck a loose strand back behind his ear.  
  
Who knew? Two years ago, she had no idea how perfect her life would become. She thought that her life was over the day that she reached the proper age to marry, never liking the idea of prearranged marriages and such. To make things worse, it seemed that all of her friends ended up with men that were old enough to be their fathers. A few of them were practically old enough to be their grandfathers even! That was what she was expecting. Not a whole lot to look foreword to there.  
  
But her parents had surprised her. One day, when she had gotten home from working the field, there was a young man that was sitting patiently at the table.  
  
~*~*~*~Flashback~*~*~*~  
  
"Elizabeth?" he called, standing up to greet her. "Is that you? Oh it must be, you look exactly as your father described you! Elizabeth, come here, sit down! It is so good to finally meet you!"  
  
"Same here," she said hesitantly. She had never seen or heard of this person before in her life. And what was with the whole 'your father described you' thing?  
  
"Oh!" he exclaimed, smacking his open palm against his forehead, "I'm so stupid! I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is David Gordon, most people call me 'Gordo' though." He said this all with an overly cheerful smile.  
  
"Hi.... Gordo.." Elizabeth said awkwardly, stumbling over his name, and slowly inched towards the table.  
  
At that moment, her father came through the door.  
  
"Ill be right back!" Elizabeth quickly said to her guest and rushed to her father, hoping for an explanation.  
  
"Dad?" she asked cautiously, "Who is that Gordo dude? Why does he know all about me? Why don't I know who he is? What is going on?"  
  
"First of all," her father started, pausing to clear his throat playfully, "that 'Gordo dude' is our guest, and you will treat him with the respect that he deserves. Second of all, he knows all about you because I told him everything that he wanted to know. I didn't tell you about him in case if our deal didn't fall through. And what is going on?" he paused once again, a small smile playing on his lips. His silent torture reminded her of a childhood chant that her and her friends used to repeat when teasing one another. It had started by saying, "I know something you don't know! I know something you don't know!" this was defiantly the case now.  
  
"What's going on?" he repeated yet again, making his daughter squirm with impatience. "What's going on is that man has asked for your hand in marriage. Your mother and I have given him permission. If all goes as planned, you'll be leaving with him by the end of next week."  
  
"Next week?" she exclaimed, a little louder then intended, and received a very stern look from her father.  
  
"Yes, next week. We have honored your wishes by finding you someone that is your own age, now you have to go along with your part of the bargain." He said the last part quietly, like it was some sort of a secret. "Now go back to him, it was very rude to just leave him there like that. You can't just rush off whenever you please like you did once you are married!"  
  
Wow! 'Once you are married,' his words played over and over in Elizabeth's mind. Was she even ready for such a thing?  
  
~*~*~*~End of flashback~*~*~*~  
  
She was scared stiff at the thought then. But now, looking back upon it, she knew that there was nothing to be afraid of. She couldn't help but smile. She wanted nothing more then to lie there and watch Gordo sleep, but she couldn't. There were animals to feed, eggs to collect, plants to water and breakfast to make, this was not the time to be lying around.  
  
Groaning as she rolled out of bed, she quickly got dressed, put her hair up and started her morning chores. 


	2. Is it there yet?

Waaaaa! No one likes me!!!! I only got one review. I feel so sad. (Not really, but I just wanted to get my point across) And what was the point you ask? Uhhhhhh.. I forgot. What was I talking about again? * starts ticking points on hand * Being sad, being unloved, not getting many revie- Eureka! (sp?) I have found it! Reviews!! I want them! Please?!?!? Ya, that's about it. I don't own Elizabeth or Gordo. Everything else is mine! Mine! Mine! All mine! Mua hahahaha!!! Erm. ok then. REVIEW! Thankies!  
  
  
  
Hours later when Elizabeth was cleaning up their kitchen, Gordo slowly walked up behind her and rested his warm hand on top of her shoulder.  
  
"I'm going into town, do you need anything?" he whispered.  
  
"Just the mail." She replied quickly.  
  
"Do you think the letter will be there? Have we given it enough time to come?" Gordo asked, hopeful.  
  
"It's been a week, that should be enough, don't you think so?" She was done with all that waiting; she wanted to hold that letter in her hands.  
  
"I hope so, but you know that these things can't be rushed." He quickly replied, not wanting to get anyone's hopes up. "We'll have to see. But other then that, do you need anything?"  
  
"Not that I can think of. You'll be home by this afternoon, right?" Elizabeth asked, concerned.  
  
"Of course." He reassured his wife while walking to the door.  
  
"Have a safe trip!" she called out as he gave her a small smile and quick wave before he closed the door.  
  
Walking down the dirt trial, Gordo started to hum a tune softly to himself. He only ended up butchering the song, which made him laugh. He couldn't keep a tune for the life of him and was horribly jealous of anyone who could.  
  
After what seemed hours (but was only around 45 minutes), Gordo reached his destination, Tallulah's local store. It wasn't much to look at, simply a small shop that was an odd shade of forest green that badly needed to be repainted. Also, one of its windows had a quarter-sized hole that was covered by some scrap canvas. The hole came from one rowdy kid that had thrown a pebble too hard at it. Lucky for the kid, the owner let him get away with simply a warning.  
  
The shop's owner, a man by the name Benjamin Reager, was a short, chubby fellow that slightly reminded Gordo of an elf. Despite his looks, Ben was one of the nicest people in the entire town.  
  
"Ah! David! Come in! Come in!" Ben called once he noticed Gordo approach the door frame, frantically waving his hand back and forth and flashing a warm smile that showed off a gap where a tooth should of been. "It's so good to see you! You know, you should stop by more often. How are you? How's you're family? Oh! Speaking of family, I just got a shipment of this flower patterned fabric this morning, I know for a fact that Elizabeth would love it!" he said while fingering the pretty pink fabric.  
  
"I'm fine, same with the family. And about the fabric, not today Ben." Gordo said, chuckling at the man's attempt to make a sale. "Actually, what I came here for was my mail."  
  
"Oh! Of course, of course!" Ben exclaimed, a hint of disappointment flashed across his face but was quickly replaced with his toothy grin. "You expecting anything important?" he asked.  
  
"Actually, I am. You see, Elizabeth and I.....well.. never mind, I don't want to get my hopes up."  
  
"Ok then." Ben replied, slightly confused as he went over to the boxes that the mail was kept in. "Gordon, Gordon, Gordon.." He mumbled to himself while looking for the appropriate marked box. "A ha! Gordon! Here we are. Let me just tie these up for you so you can be on your way. You are sure that you don't want anything else?"  
  
"I'm sure, maybe next time, Ben." Gordo said with a slight laugh as he took the tiny bundle from his hands.  
  
Stepping out of the store, Gordo couldn't help but to look down at the envelopes in his hands. Maybe he could go through them now, you know, to see if the important letter was there. But no, he really should wait until Elizabeth was there with him. It just wouldn't be fair if he knew before her. He took the bundle and crammed it into his jeans pocket. Out of sight, out of mind, right. This truly was not the case. With every step that Gordo took, he could feel the letters pushing up against his leg. He could also hear their crunch of being bent from being jammed into such a tight space. It was almost as if they were calling him, urging him to leaf through the pile.  
  
No, that would be wrong. Gordo told himself over and over again. That would be wrong, think of how Elizabeth would feel.  
  
The trip home was almost unbearable. Finally coming up to the door, Gordo tightly gripped the knob and shoved the door open.  
  
Hearing the noise, Elizabeth rushed over to the door. She could contain her excitement no longer and quickly blurted out, "Is it there?"  
  
  
  
  
  
A ha! I finished my update! Aren't you proud of me? *smiles really big because of being proud of self * so? What do you think?? Is it any good? I think so, but I'm kinda partial, ya know? Please review! Thankies! 


	3. Well, is it there?

Wow, I haven't updated for a long time! I've had so much homework lately, it is horrible! I hardly have any time for myself. But it is finally here, what you all have been waiting for (ya right! But I like to think so, just to make myself feel good. Hehehe!) The next chapter! *Cheers * yea! So, ya. For those of you that have been asking where it takes place, I have no idea and have no imagination whatsoever when it comes to new names. If you have any suggestions, please give me some! I would love to hear what you think! With all that said, I would like to add one more thing, please review and thanks to those of you that did! It made my day! REVIEW! Thankies!!  
  
"Well? Is it there?" Her face held so much joy, such hope, Gordo was almost afraid to look through the envelopes. What if it really wasn't there? Even worse, what if they had been rejected? How would Elizabeth take it?  
  
You see, Gordo and Elizabeth both dearly wanted to start a family. But, like almost everything else, they needed permission from King Rafael. Though many people protested against his rules, they knew that he was a very wise man, and he was only looking out for the people of Tallulah.  
  
About forty-five years ago, the country was falling apart. Families were growing far too rapidly. It was getting harder and harder for parents to provide for their children. Thousands of tiny, innocent children were dying of malnutrition. To make things worse, many desperate parents were ditching their kids along a far off road, like they were animals. The land was filled with chaos. King Rafael was only nineteen at the time, but he was wise beyond his age. He saw the destruction families were bringing upon themselves and decided to put a stop to it. In under an hour, he had issued a new rule regarding childbirth. It said that a couple had to be married at least a year and a half before they were eligible to have children. They also needed a solid food source and a stable, healthy home. To make sure of all these things, an inspector had to visit the house and interview each potential parent.  
  
Elizabeth and Gordo had an inspector arrive at their house one week ago. That had to be one of the most nerve-racking experiences either of them had gone through.  
  
"Please let it be there," Elizabeth whispered while closing her eyes and crossing her fingers.  
  
"I haven't looked yet." Gordo replied in a hushed tone as he slowly pulled the bundle from his pocket.  
  
Elizabeth hurriedly rushed over and snatched the package from Gordo's outstretched hands. Fumbling with the string, she swore under her breath as she couldn't untie the knot. Flinging the loose string to the ground, she stared at the return address of the top letter. In messy handwriting, she read 'Matt McGuire'. Deciding that her brother could wait, his letter quickly joined the string. The second letter was very different from the others. There was no return address and the writing was written in deep red ink. Turning over the letter, Elizabeth noticed with much thrill the royal symbol on the lip of the envelope.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed while gently putting the rest of the pile down on the nearby table, "this is it!"  
  
Gordo stood behind her and looked over his wife's shoulder as she tore open the letter. Ripping the paper from its shield, she quickly read the fancy calligrapher's handwriting.  
  
'Dear Mr. And Mrs. Gordon,' it started, 'After reviewing your request and inspecting your home, we are proud to approve your request to bear children. Please keep a copy of this letter as documentation. Congratulations.'  
  
"We got it!!!" Elizabeth's shrill cry rang throughout the house as she jumped up and down.  
  
Gordo's warm, soft lips quickly silenced her, "I love you." He whispered, his icy blue eyes piercing her own.  
  
"I love you too." She replied in the same sincere tone. "Let's go tell everyone!" Elizabeth exclaimed, tugging on her husband's hand and leading him to the door.  
  
Gordo laughed at her eagerness but agreed all the same, "Alright, let's go. It looks a little windy out, you might want a sweater."  
  
"OK." Elizabeth said as she took her pale blue coat off of the hanger. Buttoning up, she cheerily said, "I'm ready, let's go!"  
  
"Let's go." Gordo repeated as he opened the door. A cool gust of wind came in and greeted them.  
  
"Wow, it is windy!" Elizabeth said surprised, and she put her arms around herself for comfort. The couple stepped out of their home and quickly walked down the path.  
  
What they both didn't realize was that the wind had caused the note from Matt to be blown under an old mahogany dresser, far out of their sight.  
  
  
  
  
  
Wa Na Na!! Wahoo! I finished another update! Yippy! So, what do you think? Please review! thankies!!! 


	4. Awful reality

Geez! I haven't updated for the longest time! I have been really uninspired lately but, I am over it for good, I hope! (knock on wood! *hits fist on head*) anyway, moving right along... because of so many people commenting about my nameless country, I have finally decided to name it! * ahem* drum roll please. The name is now ... Tallulah. I know that that is an odd name, but too bad! I have added that to my other chapters, so if you want, reread them. (There isn't much of a change though, I wouldn't suggest it unless if you have forgotten the plot line.) Please review and tell me what you think!!!!! Thankies!  
  
  
  
Almost a month later  
  
The excitement over their announcement had finally died down. Elizabeth and Gordo were able to just sit and enjoy each other's company for the first time for ages.  
  
"How have you been lately?" Gordo asked while slowly stroking Elizabeth's outstretched hand with his thumb.  
  
"I've been holding up pretty well, things have been--"  
  
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Elizabeth jumped from the outburst. The loud town bell had rudely interrupted their conversation. The obnoxious noise rang through Gordo's ears and he could feel the vibrations within his bones. He couldn't help but shudder with the feeling inside of him.  
  
"Well," he sighed and let go of his wife's hand, "I guess we better get going."  
  
Groaning, Elizabeth stood up, smoothed out her skirt, and headed to the door. "Let's go."  
  
The old bell had been part of the town for as long as anyone could remember. Since everyone lead so different lives, they needed a chance to come together and talk about any important news, problems or concerns they were having. Practically no one took it seriously though. It was basically old men bickering about children being too noisy or stolen vegetables from their gardens. Elizabeth hated it. In her opinion, there was nothing more wearisome then a town meeting. But what could she do? It was a mandatory event. The main reason for these surprise meetings was so government officials could go around and do random house checks while everyone was away. The motto was "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about."  
  
Going down to the town hall was a very quiet trip for the couple. Aside from a few random comments on the weather and greeting other passers by, Elizabeth and Gordo spent the time in silence.  
  
Coming over the bridge, they could hear the loud buzz of everyone gathered already. Elizabeth tried to catch onto a few of the conversations being held. There seemed to be nothing but chatter on what crops were growing, what ones weren't and how business was doing. How boring! Elizabeth was about to fall asleep when Jason Nommit's raspy voice caught her attention.  
  
"I heard that the Bees are attacking us further north, that's probably what we are here for, maybe we are needed in battle."  
  
"Gordo?" Elizabeth started, grasping onto his sleeve. In a tiny, worried voice that matched her expression completely, she began asking, "Do you think that--"  
  
"No." he cut her off, knowing what she was about to say. "You know Jason, last year he said that there was a murderer on the loose, remember? That same year he also said that King Rafael's officials were stealing from houses they were doing random checks on. Both of those things weren't true, now were they?"  
  
"No," Elizabeth replied, much more calm then she had been a minute ago. Giggling, she added, "He also said that there was a huge drought coming and that no one would live to tell about it."  
  
"Exactly! You and I both now that he simply has too big of an imagination and a mouth to match it. His stories are nothing but an old man trying to get attention."  
  
"You're right." Elizabeth sighed, her shoulders relaxing again. On the outside, she looked calm. But her insides were a whole different deal completely. She couldn't shake the feeling that Jason was right for a change. The truth was, he could be right. Unlike his other stories, this one actually held possibility behind it. The Reavies, or Bees as everyone called them, had been threatening war against Tallulah for six years now. The Reavies were known for their strong military and weren't afraid to use it. Over the course of twenty years, the Bees had fought, won and taken over thirteen of the surrounding countries. The people of Tallulah had feared for many years that they would be next. What if this time they were?  
  
"May I have everyone's attention please? I repeat, may I have everyone's attention please?" One of the schoolteachers, Mr. Dig, was shouting from the makeshift stage, holding his hands up for silence. After gaining it, he cleared his throat and continued, "This meeting shall begin. First of all, are there any matters that you wish to discuss?"  
  
Carol Bodent stood up and began, "Abe and Shannon can't seem to keep their cow out of my garden! I have put up with it as long as I could stand but I have had enough! That cow totally destroyed my cabbage patch! If they cant control it, I'll.. "  
  
Elizabeth totally tuned out Carol's bickering and started playing with her fingers. This was truly a town meeting.  
  
An hour later, after listening to random people complaining about property damage, too high sale prices and what not, the list of problems came to an end.  
  
"Is there anyone else that wishes to speak? Anyone at all? No? Good! What I'm about to say wont be easy but um." Mr. Dig began. Looking down at his feet, he nervously rocked back and forth, "Um. well, you see."  
  
"It's about the Bees, aint it?" Jason yelled, causing a murmur to run through the crowd.  
  
"Silence please! Jason, I don't approve of your outburst, you know you are supposed to wait your turn." Mr. Dig said, wagging his finger at Jason. "Everyone, please let me speak!" He called, his voice shaking slightly. Even though no one complied with his request, Mr. Dig continued, "You and I both know that this awful day would come." Suddenly, with this said, the entire town was dead silent. "Mr. Nommit, you are correct, this is about the Bees. I regret to announce that ten days ago, they..uh..well.. they declared war against us." The crowd all gasped in unison but stayed silent, waiting for the teacher to continue. "We will try as hard as we can to ward off their attacks, but to do this, we will need more soldiers."  
  
This time, the silence was broken by many upset cries of "No! You cant do that to us!" and "Please don't make then go!" and a few "What about our families?"  
  
"People, people, let me finish!" Mr. Dig called, very worried that the town would all try to attack him. "Don't shoot the messenger! This isn't my fault! This isn't your fault either, but together, we can fight them. We can save our precious Tallulah but we first need soldiers. Men that we feel will be able to aid us will be receiving letters within the next couple of days. Upon receiving these letters, you will be immediately asked to go north, to the river Velsur, to get further instructions. There is no dodging these letters, Rafael's officers will make sure of it."  
  
Gordo looked over at Elizabeth, who had a river of silent tears streaming down her face. They both knew that he was going to be summoned to war. Elizabeth quickly wiped a stray tear from the tip of her nose. She had trouble making out Mr. Dig's words over the cries of everyone around her, "Everyone can do their part, please include the war's speedy end in your prayers tonight. Please pray that our men will come home safe...."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well? What did you think???? Please review! Thankies! 


	5. The mail

Ok, here is the next part to the story. Im sorry that it is so short but I couldn't think of a different way to end the chapter. I want to thank my ONE reviewer, Lauren, thank you very much. Your review meant a lot to me! To everyone else, PLEASE review! Thankies!  
  
  
  
They knew this day would come. They had spent hours talking and comforting one another, allowing each other time for the appalling truth to sink in.  
  
"Gordo, please, don't go and get the mail! Pretend we forgot, we didn't have the time, we went and visited someone, anything!" Elizabeth pleaded, holding onto Gordo's sleeve with such force that her knuckles were turning white, a shade that matched her horrified face.  
  
"Honey," he sighed, not from frustration, but from the fear that had building up inside of him, "we did that yesterday, remember? I have to go, if I don't, both of us will be in deep trouble. It is an obligation. Though I am not happy with it, I have to go. You have to understand." He felt horrible as he looked into her eyes that were bloodshot from her tears. She was going through so much torment over this.  
  
"You know what? Why don't we go down together, you can keep me company? What do you say?"  
  
"Alright," Elizabeth squeaked, ready to unleash a fresh batch of tears any second. "Don't forget your coat, I don't want you to catch a cold."  
  
With that said, they set out. The trip down was anything but a giddy one. It seemed more like a funeral procession then anything else. Elizabeth kept her head down the entire time, her golden tresses covering her tear stained face. Gordo remained silent as well, in fear of saying something that would send Elizabeth bolting back to their home. He simply kept his hand on the small of Elizabeth's back, giving it random pats, urging her to keep moving.  
  
Finally making it to their destination, Elizabeth turned towards Gordo, "I love you," she whispered, cupping his strong chin in her own delicate fingers. Her declaration had held such passion and faith that it had seemed as though it was a wish. Almost like if she loved him enough, their passion would keep the letter from coming.  
  
Ben looked up from the counter when he heard the couple step in. He looked very tense, very worried. His eyes that once held such vibrancy and joy now looked tired, dull and reflected his old age.  
  
"Mail." Gordo simply said, it was obvious that his heart was aching.  
  
Ben solemnly nodded and began looking for the Gordon's box.  
  
"Take care of yourself. Ok? We want you to come back very soon." Ben said as he handed over the single envelope with David's name on it.  
  
Elizabeth stood in silence, but not from shock. She knew this day would come.  
  
Gordo took a deep breath and forced the air back through his nostrils as he shakily ripped open the envelope. Skimming the contents, he looked up at his wife and wearily nodded his head.  
  
He had been summoned.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well? What do you think? Please review!! Thankies! 


	6. Long Travels

The amazing (har har har) author of this story stands before her readers to deliver her awe-inspiring speech. Clearing her throat, she begins, "Dear all my beautiful readers, I love you all and---" Without warning, the lights go out and everything is dark. (Well duh!)  
  
"Stupid lights! Hang on. I gotta go see what that was all about. Please, feel free to help yourself to the goldfish crackers and kool aid. I apologize that they were the only things that my freakishly cheap budget could afford! Be back in a Jiffy!"  
  
Leaving her readers behind, she goes off to search for the circuit breaker. Her perfectly calm readers sit and talk amongst themselves until a lone reader's shrill cry is heard. Everyone's attention turns towards a dark, bony, sickly looking figure hobbling their way, trailing a ball and chain behind him.  
  
"No! No! Please, don't be frightened!" he pleas, his voice hoarse and cracking, while flailing his arms for silence. "Please, I have come to warn you all, the- the author, she is not well," his vast blue eyes widened, as if the mere thought frightened him. "She-she lives off of reviews, breaths them, feeds off of them. And," The man's voice drifted off as he steadied himself on a near-by chair before continuing, "and her supply is running low. She feels unloved; it's taking a toll on her writing. You have to help her.I must go now; I think I've said too much " he said, quickly glancing behind his shoulder as he began to fearfully shake, "If he finds I've escaped, who knows what he will do? But back to the matter at hand, you know what you must do."  
  
And with that, the man was gone and the lights were switched back on. "Wow, that was strange!" The author's voice was heard as she re entered the room. "Don't you just hate that when lights just randomly decide to turn off and then come back on right when you were inches from the circuit box? Anywhoo, where was I? Oh yes! I love you all for your undying support and hope that you continue...."  
  
GEEZ! ON WITH THE DANG STORY ALREADY!!!  
  
  
  
Gordo had been uncomfortably sitting in the carriage that was taking him and other men from his town to the battlegrounds for hours. He was unable to comprehend how he was going to survive the three-day trip to the northernmost point of Tallulah. As he shifted his weight and sighed from boredom and nervousness, he began rummaging through his small bag that Elizabeth had made up for him last night. He ran his fingers over the simple contents, an extra change of clothes, some food for the trip, paper, a pen and some ink. She had made him promise that he'd write every other day so she would know he was all right, even if the mail was only collected and sent once every week. Did the time spent on the dull trip there count? He sighed again and put his head back on the stiff, hard wooden seat backing. This morning he had reluctantly followed the simple instructions on his note, gotten to town before sunrise to catch his ride, got his bag ready with the bare necessities, everything of that sort. But even with the sheer simplicity of the matter, everything seemed horribly complicated.  
  
This day had come far too quickly.  
  
~*~*~*Flashback~*~*~*  
  
Elizabeth had been treating him like he was dying all day. She had insisted to bring him pillows everywhere he sat down, she had him put up his feet, she asked him if he needed a blanket. Gordo watched her as she slowly wore herself out but had insisted that "no! I am doing fine!" and "Don't you dare move, I can take care of it!" That night, she even cut his food up for him. Gordo fought very hard to hold back an annoyed sigh as she hovered over his plate, cutting his beans into such tiny pieces that he could barely pick them up with his fork, he didn't even need to chew them. She had put so much butter on his bread that the fat coated his tongue and knew that his stomach would be very angry later on. But it was when she was filling his water glass back up to the brim every time he took the smallest sip that almost made him crack. She was making him crazy but he was too concerned to tell her so. He was too afraid that she would get the wrong idea. The last thing that he wanted would be to make her even more upset then she already was.  
  
What if he never saw her again? As horrible as the idea was, it was still a possibility. This is war, after all. There must be casualties from both sides.  
  
He gave Elizabeth a forced smile when she had cleared the table and rolled his eyes once her back was turned to wash the dishes.  
  
Gordo looked quizzically at her fifteen minutes after she had begun washing and was yet to pick up the next dish.  
  
"Elizabeth?" he cautiously asked, at once feeling ashamed for doing such a childish act at a time like this.  
  
She turned towards him; a distant, glazed look clouded her eyes. "Hmmm?" she murmured, not stopping her methodic rubbing of the warn dishrag upon the smooth, clean surface.  
  
"Would you like help with that?" he asked, beginning to rise from his chair, his pillow that Elizabeth had insisted to be propped behind him dropped to the floor. When she didn't answer, he took the plate from her hands and began to dry it. "I must say, you did a very thorough job of washing this one, honey." He said, hoping to see a hint of a smile grace her impassive face.  
  
His comment did not generate the desired effect, though. At this moment, Elizabeth dropped to her knees in a fit of hysterical sobs. "You can't go!" she exclaimed, grabbing on to Gordo's knees, making them buckle and almost fall on top of her," You just can't! What if something happens to you? What if you get hurt?" She continued to ramble on with a list of every single scenario of things that could possibly go wrong. "I'm going to be fine!" Gordo tried to convince her, and himself, for that matter. "Ill be back before you know it! Everything is going to be fine, you'll see!"  
  
"Oh! I am such an awful wife!" She wailed, moving her grip from Gordo to her hair and began rocking. All the while keeping her head down, too ashamed to look him in the face.  
  
"Don't say that, you are nothing of the sort." Gordo comforted her; softly taking her chin and making her look up.  
  
She put her head back down the moment he released her and continued to cry, but not as violently as before. "But I am! It should be me helping you through this, not the other way around! You don't need to be worried about me on top of everything else!"  
  
~*~*~End Flashback~*~*~*~  
  
But he was worried about her, nothing could stop that. What was she doing? Was she still upset? He hoped she wouldn't be. He wasn't in danger, not yet at least.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well? How was that for you? It turned out shorter then I'd hoped, I wish that it is enough for you people!( * crosses fingers*) Please be enough! Lol! I have part of the next chapter typed already; I hope that I can get the rest done soon. Please tell me what you think of it so far! Thanks! 


	7. A friend?

Yea! I got a review on my last pathetic excuse for a chapter! I am so happy! Thank you Texas-Princess9! Ok, I know that people are having trouble understanding the setting of my story, but I can't seem to get my idea across. It's just that they are living in a country different then yours and mine. I don't know how to convey this thought to you though. If anyone could help me out, it would be much appreciated. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!!  
  
The trip was horrible, Gordo had been the youngest one traveling amongst them and so he had no one to talk to. This left him alone with his thoughts. He had found out the hard way that being on a three day trip and having a very large imagination did not mix well. In fact, he had managed to seriously freak himself out more then once. It was odd, but once his eyes had met the camp sight, he wasn't worried anymore.  
  
Thankfully, the long trip was over. Gordo was at the impromptu camp, sitting and mindlessly chucking stones into the Velsur River that was babbling quietly in front of him. He had already been shown to the cramped tent he would be sharing and had been given a disgustingly dirty pillow to sleep on. Now all that was needed of him was to relax and be ready to fight when he was needed. He threw another smooth stone into the river and watched the water splash and then fade into ringlets where the disturbance had been.  
  
Hearing footsteps approaching, he turned and was greeted by a tall, tan young man that had strait blond hair down to his shoulders and looked as though he couldn't of been much older then Gordo.  
  
"Hey!" The stranger called, raising his hand in a slight wave.  
  
"Hi!" Gordo said, trying to be cheerful, he hadn't had many people to talk to lately and desperately craved conversation.  
  
The blond plopped, very ungracefully, to the ground next to Gordo as he thrust his hand out.  
  
"My names Ethan Craft, who're you?"  
  
"David Gordon, most people call me Gordo," he replied, shaking the outstretched hand.  
  
"You new here?" Ethan asked, gazing at the river.  
  
"Is it that obvious?" Gordo asked, while tilting his head in an inquisitive gesture.  
  
"Nah." Ethan said, shaking his head, "Just didn't recognize you, that's all."  
  
"Oh" Gordo replied. Not knowing what else to say, he threw a stone into the river and watched the splash.  
  
" Oh!" Ethan exclaimed after watching the rock hit he water. He held so much excitement in his voice that Gordo turned toward him with a surprised look on his face. Ethan's eyes were twinkling as he began talking. "So, you've never fought in war before?" Before Gordo could answer, Ethan went on, "That would mean that you've never seen a bomb go off, right?" Once again, he rushed into his next sentence before Gordo could reply. "Oh! Wow! They are so awesome! You have no idea. I mean they are scary and all, don't get me wrong bro., but its like..." He paused, thinking of a description before continuing to ramble, "You're just standin' there, ya know? And then, all of a sudden, KAPOW!" he threw his arms up, mimicking the explosion. "And like, the ground shakes, ya know? And the dirt flies everywhere!" At this, he grabbed a fistful of earth and threw it in the air while making explosion noises, getting dirt on his and Gordo's pants. "It's mad cool!" Ethan finished, grinning.  
  
Gordo smiled back fakely, 'Poor fellow,' he thought to himself, 'being involved in this war has driven him mad! It is just my luck, the first person I meet just has to be crazy'  
  
"You know what?" Gordo asked Ethan, wanting to get away from him as soon as possible, "I think that I'm going to go and rest, it's been a long day."  
  
'Please don't follow me! Please don't follow me! Please don't follow me!' Gordo's head chanted as he scurried in the direction of his tent.  
  
"Alright bro. catch ya later!" Ethan called to Gordo's quickly retreating form.  
  
"Later!" Gordo called. 'Thank you Lord!' Gordo said under his breath.  
  
To some extent, Gordo had been telling the truth, he truly was feeling very tired. He had simply used that fact to his advantage. But why was he feeling so bad about leaving Ethan there like that? Oh well. He didn't have to worry about that now.  
  
Opening the tent flap Gordo slipped into his new home. He lay down on the hard cot and instinctively placed his head on the 'unsanitary' pillow that he had sworn off only three hours ago. Seconds later, he had drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
  
  
Ya ya ya, I know nothing really happened in this chapter, I'm sorry! More will happen on the next one, I promise! Please review!! 


	8. Letters

Whoo! I'm back! Did ya miss me? No? Ah well, cant blame you. Anyway I must say that I really really really don't like finals. They are evil! But, they are over and done with so I now have time to continue the story. (Ya!) Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!  
  
  
  
It had been a little bit more then two weeks since Gordo's departure and Elizabeth had received no word from him still. But she wouldn't get worried. She had promised herself and Gordo that she wouldn't work herself into a panic over the war; that she would try her hardest to think positive.  
  
'They probably haven't collected the mail yet, that's all, they probably only collect it twice a month. I mean, if I was at war, I wouldn't want to dawdle over something as minuscule as mail duty. Right?' Elizabeth thought to herself while pacing the length of the kitchen. "Oh this is crazy!" she muttered under her breath, ringing her hands together as she continued her saunter, "I need to get my mind off of this. I need to do something productive. I need to get some actual work done. I need to stop talking to myself!" she ended with a light, airy laugh.  
  
'I haven't heard from my mother for a long time, I should write her, tell her what's going on.' Ok, so the letter wouldn't get her mind off of her situation, but at least she was doing something. And she could use the fact that she was sending out a letter as an excuse to check if she had received any word from Gordo. 'A letter to mother it is then!' she cheerfully thought.  
  
Her father had died very shortly after Elizabeth's marriage and her mother had been living on her own since then. If anyone knew about the pain of separation, it would be her mother. She would tell Elizabeth what to do. Gordo had repeatedly offered to allow Mrs. McGuire to live with them, but she had politely refused every time. She would say that she didn't want to get in the way. Elizabeth now wished that her mom had taken them up on their offer. If she had, Elizabeth would have someone around to talk to and wouldn't be alone. But her mother wasn't here, no use thinking about things that would only make her feel worse. Writing to her mother did sound like a good idea though.  
  
With this thought in mind, she got out a piece of paper, a pen and a jar of ink and began to scribble her thoughts and worries down on the clean, white paper that was now filling up with her pretty, flowing print. Finishing in record time, Elizabeth set her pen down with a relieved sigh, getting her feelings out had really released a huge weight from her shoulders. She blew on the paper, waiting for the ink to properly dry, while rereading her handiwork.  
  
'Dear Mother,  
  
How have you been doing? I haven't heard from you for ages. I hope that you are all right and free of worries.  
  
I'm afraid that I can't say the same for myself. I should of known that life was too good to be true. You see, David has been sent to the battlegrounds and I haven't heard from him since. Granted he left only about two weeks ago, but it truly seems like so much longer. Every day without word is killing me. I want to stay positive, I really do, it is just so easy to think less then happy thoughts. I just wish I had conformation that he is all right.  
  
Things are so quiet around here. It is really odd. I am so used to hearing David's voice, or at least the noises of the animals. But both of those things have been taken away from me. Only four days after David left, officials came around town and collected every single animal that would serve purpose up north. They took every last one and kept telling us that 'we need to be willing to make sacrifices for our country'. The nerve of those people! I couldn't believe it! We were torn away from our loved ones with such little preparation time and they think that they have the right to talk to us about sacrifice?!? I hope that nothing like that happened by you. Did it? Has anyone been summoned or are you too far south to be affected this early?  
  
How do you do it? How can you live without Dad around anymore? David has been gone for only a few short weeks and I already think that I'm going to go crazy. What did you do? What can I do? Please help me!  
  
I hope you are safe and wish to hear back from you soon!  
  
Love, Elizabeth'  
  
Sighing, Elizabeth put the letter down and began filling out the envelope. It made her feel a lot better letting her emotions out to her mother. Maybe she should do the same for Gordo. Would she be able to get through the letter without making him feel guilty for something that he had no control over? That indeed was the question. "Might as well try." She murmured to herself, "I don't have to send it, so.. why not?" She stretched her thin fingers of her writing hand before grabbing another piece of paper and once again began writing down a flurry of words.  
  
'Gordo,  
  
It's been two weeks  
  
Three days long  
  
I'm all alone since you've been gone  
  
I can't keep myself from asking why  
  
Just wanna see my reflection  
  
In your eyes  
  
Just know that I'm with you  
  
And what you feel  
  
I feel it too  
  
I'm feeling lately  
  
I'm going crazy  
  
Wondering how I'll go on without you  
  
I keep on trying  
  
Slowly dying  
  
Thinking about how I need you here with me  
  
I miss you. I love you, Elizabeth'  
  
Once again putting her pen down, she quickly wiped a stray tear that had escaped and placed the paper into an envelope.  
  
After putting everything back into its proper place, Elizabeth got out her sweater and began to travel down the comfortably familiar path. It was good to know that amongst the chaos, there were still a few things that she could count on to stay constant.  
  
  
  
  
  
Yippie!!! I have an update!!! What do you think?????? Oh, and in case if it wasn't obvious, I didn't write the words in Gordo's letter, it is the lyrics to a song by Justincase called "Without You". It is an AMAZING SONG and I thought that it fit perfectly here. Please review and tell me what you think! Ill try to get my next update posted faster then this one. Thanks!!!! 


	9. Lets go

Yippie! The next chappie is here!! Please R&R! Thanks!  
  
  
  
  
  
It was two weeks and Gordo still saw no point in his having to leave home so abruptly. He'd done nothing but sit around camp for the past few weeks, not that he'd rather be fighting, but still. It didn't seem as though he'd be serving his country any time soon. The entire length of his stay consisted of moping around camp and wishing that he were back at home with Elizabeth. He'd much rather be at home, protecting her. But he wasn't, he was here, in this filthy camp, with absolutely nothing better to do then sit and talk to other men in the same position as him and was bored out of his mind. He'd even reached a breaking point and gave Ethan a second chance at conversation. Despite their first meeting, Gordo found that Ethan actually an interesting person and the guy was seriously growing on Gordo. He'd found himself searching out the notorious blond on more then one occasion. Maybe it was the fact that their age was so close. Maybe it was that the nut had so many interesting stories to tell. Maybe it was just that Gordo was lonely. Whatever it was, Gordo discovered that he was on friendly terms with Ethan.  
  
"Dude, they're collecting the mail." Ethan poked Gordo in the side, trying to get the raven head's attention.  
  
"Huh?" Gordo mumbled, fazing out of his thoughts.  
  
"I said.. That they are collecting the mail. You know? Mail? As in that pile of letters that you've killed a tree to write. I wouldn't want you to commit tree massacre without having a purpose. Let those trees not die in vain!" Ethan said, waving his arms dramatically.  
  
"Ill be right back! Don't let them go away!" Gordo called as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted to his tent, faintly hearing Ethan's muttered comment, "he's so whipped!" and the agreeing snicker of the rest of their group that followed it. He'd be sure to argue against that once he'd safely deposited his parcels.  
  
Once inside his tent, he found his growing pile of paper and dashed back, searching for the man that was carrying the large, bulging rucksack that stretched from all the mail it contained. Finding him, Gordo sighed and quickly returned to his position next to Ethan.  
  
"Back so soon?" Ethan said upon his return, "Dude, that was like a record or something."  
  
"Shut up." Gordo simply replied, hitting Ethan on the shoulder.  
  
"Ouch! That hurt!" Ethan cried indignantly, rubbing the spot where he had been punched.  
  
"Oh you are such a ninny, Ethan! That did not hurt!" Gordo sighed.  
  
"And how would you know? Are you the one that was punched? I think not! And I am not a ninny. If anyone is the ninny, it would be you." He said, pointing his finger into Gordo's chest.  
  
"And you figure that how?" Gordo countered, fully enjoying the play-sparing match.  
  
"Well. You see, I .... I mean, you....." Gordo waited intently as he watched Ethan's face flash with the look that he only had when he was thinking very hard; he almost always would end up not knowing the answer anyways. Seeing his comrade's face, Gordo smiled in triumph. "What I mean is that you never. but I don't.... what were we talking about again?" Ethan sighed in defeat as he finally gave up. He curiously scratched his head while all the onlookers cracked up in laughter.  
  
The roar of amusement was quickly short lived when a red-faced soldier ran up to their group, huffing and puffing as his eyes frantically darted back and forth. With a look of puzzlement, everyone glanced up at the man's crimson face and waited for him to catch his breath. The man stood there for a moment, holding painfully onto his chest as his entire body shook.  
  
"Get.get." the sweaty man wheezed, "get your stuff, commander's called us, we leave in five minutes." He managed to squeak out. "Hurry!" he urgently called over his shoulder before sprinting over to the next group of soldiers. Automatically, Gordo's bunch all sprung to their feet.  
  
"Wait!" Gordo called, feeling panicked, "what's going on?"  
  
"Go!" Ethan yelled, pushing Gordo roughly in the direction of his tent. "Get your rifle. If you don't have one, tell your supervising commander. Find a helmet that doesn't slide around on your head and grab as many bullets as you can carry." Gordo just stood there in shock as the orders slowly sank in. "Now!" Ethan barked as he darted towards his own tent. Gordo had never seen Ethan act so serious in his whole two weeks of knowing him. He'd always seemed so laid back and reserved.  
  
Gordo gaped as everyone around him ran into their tents and back out of them faster then he could bat an eye. The people reminded Gordo of ants. Tiny, red ants, madly scuttling out of the their hill that had just been kicked down, only to go back inside to retrieve the colony's precious eggs.  
  
He was literally knocked back into reality as an aged, burly man slammed into him and Gordo was thrown inelegantly onto his ass. "Get a move on, sonny!" the beefy man called, not bothering to see if the younger man was all right, while continuing his running.  
  
A scowl took over Gordo's features as he ran into his own tent. He detested being called sonny. It was the worst name in the world, far worse then 'hey you' or even 'kid'. How could one expect to get proper respect while being called 'sonny'? It took all Gordo had not to spit at the thought. Disgusting.  
  
After a short spasm of grunting, his clumsy hands found the rifle jammed under his cot and sprinted to join the loud congregation outside, only to discover that he had missed the beginning of the speech. Great, just peachy.  
  
"... march for a day and a half to meet up with the rest of our troop. Is that clear? Good! Lets go."  
  
"Lets go." Gordo whispered under his breath, "lets go."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ta da!! Well? What did you think?? Please review! Thanks!!!!!! : ) 


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